US8120473B2 - Smart modem device for vehicular and roadside applications - Google Patents

is the exterior of the Smart Modem Device or SMD case showing the primary rear connection ports (in standard AC power connection) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

is the exterior of the case of

showing the front face and additional ports there located;

shows the interior of the SMD with the cover removed (including DC module with voltage regulator and sequencer for automotive applications) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

shows the interior of the SMD with the cover and top plate removed (including DC module with voltage regulator and sequencer for automotive applications) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

shows the interior of the SMD with the cover, top plate and mainboard removed (in standard AC power configuration as in

above) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

shows SMD as used in roadside application (using AC power and PCMCIA connection card specially modified for an external antenna) according to an embodiment of the present invention;

is a block diagram depicting a network architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention;

is a block diagram depicting a network architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention;

is a block diagram depicting a network architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention;

is a block diagram of the components of a modem system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

is a flowchart depicting an operational mode of the modem system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

is a flowchart depicting an operational mode of the modem system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

is a set of data structures according to an embodiment of the present invention;

depicts a map according to an embodiment of the present invention;

depicts a snowplow according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

depicts a block diagram of the components of a data collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In one embodiment, the smart modem system collects and transmits selected output information regarding a vehicle state and/or its occupant(s) and/or receives selected input information for use by the vehicle and/or its operator. “Vehicle state” refers to a condition, function, location, or operation of a vehicle or a component or accessory thereof. As shown in

, first, second, . . . nth smart modem systems 700 a-n are incorporated in a first, second, . . . nth vehicles 704 a-n. Each of the smart modem systems is in communication with a wireless public or

708. The

708 is, in turn, in communication with an enterprise Local Area Network or

710 that includes a

712, first, second, . . . mth servers 716 a-m and first, second, . . . mth databases 720 a-m. The modem systems collect selected types of information and continually or periodically forward the information, via the

708, to the

710 for storage and processing. The stored and processed information can be accessed locally and directly by clients, such as PCs and laptops, internal to the

710 or remotely by clients external to the enterprise network. The stored information is typically indexed by a unique SMD device name and corresponding vehicle name pairing. As will be appreciated, the multiple databases 720 a-m need not have a one-to-one correspondence with the servers 716 a-m, but may include more or fewer databases.

The

708 can be any type of wireless service and/or air interface, such as Advanced Mobile Telephone Service or AMPS, Digital Advanced Mobile Telephone Service or D-AMPS, Digital Communication Service or DCS1800, Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service or GSM/GPSR, North American Digital Cellular, Personal Communications Services, Personal Digital Cellular, Total Access Communication System, High Speed Downlink Packet Access or HSDPA, Enhanced Data GSM Environment or EDGE, 1xRTT CDMA, CDMA2000, Evolution Data Optimized or EVDO, Digital Enhanced Network or iDEN, Specialized Mobile Radio or SMR, 802.11x, WiMAX or 802.16, and other public and private networks, with Frequency Division Multiple Access or FDMA, Time Division Multiple Access or TDMA, Code Division Multiple Access or CDMA, Cellular Digital Packet Data or CDPD, Wideband CDMA or WCDMA/UMTS, or others. The public or

708 can be either landline or wireless. Wireless networks can be operated by one or more private or public networks, including carriers, such as Sprint™, Nextel™, Verizon™, Cingular™, Alltel™, Western Wireless™, AT&T Wireless™, Unicell™, Westlink™ and others, as well as affiliates thereof. Bandwidth and/or transmission speeds, and/or the frequency and method of data transmissions, may be intentionally limited (by setting appropriate modem parameters) to qualify for favorable telemetry rates.

The information collected 1612 (

) by the modem system 1600 (

) can vary depending on the application. The information 1612 can include vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, engine revolutions-per-minute, engine temperature, engine oil pressure, fuel level, battery amperage, battery voltage, odometer setting, tire pressure, mileage per gallon, other onboard warning systems and sensors, weather conditions (such as temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, wind chill, raining, snowing, blowing snow, foggy, clear, overcast, etc.), road conditions (e.g., icy, slushy, snow-packed, frosty, wet, dry, etc.), physical location 1620 (

) (e.g., Global Positioning System or GPS-based location), snow plow 1504 (

) setting (e.g., snowplow position and orientation such as plow 1504 up or down and angle relative to the truck longitudinal axis), mixture and amount of material being applied by spreader 1508 to a selected surface (e.g., salt level, sand level, magnesium sulfate level, other chemicals or materials, and combinations thereof), revolutions-per-minute of concrete mixing vessels, pumping pressure of concrete, video images of the vehicle's exterior environment or the vehicles' interior or exterior, audio of the vehicle's interior, airborne chemicals or particulates, radiation levels, friction measures, thermal and/or infrared imaging, credit card receipts, passes, driver identifications, bar codes, receipts, remote databases, instructions, job tickets, and directions and other information which can be displayed, sensed and/or input, manually or on an automated basis.

The

710 can perform a variety of data processing functions. The

710, for example, can compare information or a given sensed parameter to identify temporal trends or differences and, if necessary, generate appropriate alarms. The alarms can be logged internally and/or forwarded to the respective vehicle via the modem system. The vehicle operator and/or automated components thereof can then take appropriate remedial action to address the cause of the alarm. It can prepare selected reports on the information. It can log events. The

710 can also provide communications to the

1600. The communications can, for example, provide

1624 to the vehicle operator, such as vehicle and/or ancillary device operation and dispatch commands, and/or to automated components of the vehicle itself to remotely control selected vehicle operations.

In one configuration, the data processing can provide a spatial map 1400 (

) showing vehicle locations, vehicle operations, and other state information. For example and with reference to

, the

1400 can depict the location of each of a number of snowplow trucks 1500 (

) using an icon 1404 a-d denoting each truck. The icon 1404 color can be varied to indicate differing vehicle states. For example, the color green indicates that the

1500 is active and working (e.g., blade down and/or spreading deicing materials), yellow that the

1500 is active but not working snow (e.g., not blading or spreading materials), red that the

1500 is stopped, and gray that the

1500 is off or out of range for at least a selected period of time. Text information 1408 a-d can be depicted on the map adjacent to or associated with each icon 1404. The text information 1408 can describe selected state information associated with the

1500, such as a

1412, direction of

1416,

1420, status of

1424, and

1428 of last data update for the identified truck. The

1400 can also depict, for a selected vehicle, a trace route over a selected period of time. A trace route indicates the path of travel of the vehicle over the selected time period.

depicts an architecture according to another embodiment of the present invention. The architecture includes a

800 a including a

804 a in communication with a

808 a, a

800 b including a

804 b in communication with a

808 b, . . . and an

800 n including an

804 n in communication with an

808 n. Each network is typically operated separately by different entities or carriers. The vehicles are commonly operated by different business entities (e.g., are owned and operated by different companies). The first, second, . . . nth networks 808 a-n are in turn in communication with a third

812, which provides contractual (fee-based) data storage and optionally processing services. The

812 includes a

816 interconnecting a firewall 820, a server farm or cluster of first, second, . . . nth servers 824 a-n and one or a number of databases 828 a-n. Each of the databases 828 a-n is configured for a specific business entity operating one or more vehicles. In one configuration, the databases are replaced by a single database partitioned for each of the business entities. In any event, the information collected by the various modem systems is stored in the respective database or database partition. Data processing software customized for each entity can be resident in the

812. Representatives of the independent entities can access, from a remote client, the data for which it has authorization, such as a PC or laptop.

The SMD can incorporate full programming language support and be fully user programmable in various common languages such as Perl, Java, C variants, .NET and others. This programming flexibility can be used both for purposes of setting up and directing the transfer or receipt of data and information, as well as for the processing thereof, if and to the extent such field processing and/or translations are required in the field. In addition to interfacing in traditional standards such as ASCII, HEX and other formats, the SMD is fully SOAP XML Web Services compatible. In addition to the communications elements of the modem, users can run Linux, Microsoft and other programs to provide additional desired utility and functionality, such as for taking

4 or other video from the field, running applications and peripheral services in the mobile or field environment, without the need for separate equipment such as laptops, computers or processors. The SMD can provide flexible modem functionality on a stand-alone basis. The SMD can be remotely access, upgraded and/or reconfigured if and as so necessary.

Case size is currently primarily a size of the existing components and a trade-off in costs. Bigger becomes impractical. Smaller currently gets disproportionately expensive. With current component sizes and price points, we typically use cases such as the 2.5″×8″×10″

3688

1 featured in the accompanying photos. It is anticipated that smaller cases will be usable as ever smaller components become more price competitive. While smaller cases can be used, a larger case can provide a bit extra room to work with, dissipate heat, add additional internal components when and as desired (e.g. additional

25 & 29), and yet is small enough to be collocated with other equipment in even larger or more protective cases such as

4 and other environmentally protective cases such as the roadside box shown in

. Internally, the tray is modified to mount the

27 a, 27 b and 27 c, the DC voltage regulator and sequencer for automotive applications 25 (if not otherwise incorporated directly into the power supply 42), and other items.

All Figures show the 2.5″×8″×10″ Morex case configuration, though other cases can also be used. Any suitable case that can accommodate the following components can be used.

show the embedded system in the case with integrated VIA mainboard and 1 GHz processor, 2 GB compact flash for programming and data storage, 256 MB of heat shielded RAM, and an ITPS DC module with voltage regulator and sequencer as used for automotive applications. Other mainboards and components could be substituted.

The SMD is designed for both fixed and mobile applications. AC/DC power is typically incorporated. Such power supplies are generally sourced from the applicable case manufacturer, as the Morex Procase power board shown in the accompanying

42, but any reliable power supply will do. A voltage regulator should be used with the power board for mobile applications. A combination regulator and sequencer is either incorporated into the

42 or separately collocated such as the ITSP regulator and sequencer from

25 is typically incorporated to provide key on/off functionality with delayed power-off for an orderly initiation of the shut-down of the device and whatever functionality is then active.

Any small form factor mainboard with appropriate connections can be used, such as the VIA MII mainboard shown in the accompanying

, 3 and 4, and items 2-10, 30, 35, and 38-39. For data, video and other inputs, connections should be provided for major connection types intended to be used, including currently and without limitation, multiple USB, 1394, RCA and

6, 10, 11, 13 and 39. For communications, connections or slots should be available for, among other things Ethernet, PCMCIA (cardbus) &

7, 8, 9 and 39.

35 a and 35 b, at least one

38, and at least one DIMM slot for

36 should be included. Typically the mainboards would carry an embedded ultra low power, ultra low heat processor such as a 600 MHz or the 1

37 and support

36 of typically 256 MB or more (the

30 supports up to 1 GB of RAM). It is important that the embedded system use a processor that is low power low heat, or heat buildup can become an issue in the tight enclosures involved in various applications such as shown in

. Advance in the computer component industry in these regards, and processors in particular (with significant advances in processing speeds with such ultra low power, ultra low heat processors as the C3 37) have made this advance in modem technology possible. Future mainboards can be even smaller, carry more or different ports and connections and even faster more efficient processing capabilities. In any event, the mainboard and associated faceplate (2 and 30) are inserted in and affixed to the applicable case. These “new” mainboards are substantially faster, and more modular and flexible, than mainboards found in traditional modems.

Any

36 can be used. Typically, 256 MB or more of RAM is incorporated. In the accompanying

, we are shown using 256 MB of heat shielded RAM from SuperTalent. The

30, shown in the examples can support up to 1 GB of RAM. Additional RAM may be supported and used in the future. Such RAM can be used in either typical fashion (as most users use their PC—e.g. where operating files are primarily carried on separate memory such as an HDD drive or in this

27 c, and there is an ongoing interaction between the two) or in more specialized ways such as with special optical files or read only memory (ROM) where all operation code (operating files as well as application) are loaded into RAM on boot from the separate storage. In the later case for example, all operable code is bundled into one optical file or ROM, either of which can be loaded into and run from RAM once the device is powered up. Any malicious or accidental attempts to change or damage the operating code have but a temporary impact as the optical file will again and automatically reloaded in original form when the RAM next reads the file, such as on reboot or restart. In such cases, the RAM has to be larger than the combined files (ie. all programming and operating files). A fairly sophisticated application can run in this manner on less than 1 GB of RAM.

CF memory is typically used to get away from moving parts such as in HDD drives, and to provide a more hardened unit. Any CF can be used—the enclosed pictures show a 2 Gb CF card by SanDisk. While avoiding the moving parts of an HDD, the CF provides many of the benefit of solid state circuitry but with substantially more flexibility in terms of programmability and ease of use. An IDE to

27 b and shortened

34 is used to integrate the CF memory with the

30 and associated functionality. Where, as with the

30, an additional IDE slot is available, additional internal CF or HDD storage capacity can be added. Removable external CF memory can also be used in the CF slot provided and accessible from the

9. If the user prefers, an HDD (typically 20 GB or higher) can be used in lieu of or addition to the internal CF. The SMD can also boot from other memory, including USB sticks, if desired or needed.

The importance of having various COM and data options cannot be overstated, and the SMD specifically provides as much flexibility as technology and available components allow in this regard. The SMD anticipates and provides for interchangeable and upgradeable communications and data options through PCMCIA, CF, RJ-45, RS-232, USB and other connections, e.g 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. Wireless services, for example, can be used on one network in one part of a state, and on another network in another part of the state, with the simple interchange of a connection card in the PCMCIA (cardbus) 8 in the back of the device, and a corresponding change in drivers for the new network and card. Other SMD's can be as easily changed to operate on network connections, fiber connections,

7 and other alternatives including dial-up land lines via a

8. Such conversions, as well as simply the replacement of a damaged card or component, can be done at the nominal cost of that given card or component, rather than the replacement of an entire device, as has been necessary with traditional external modems which operate on only one network and incorporate limited if any processing capabilities.

With the SMD, this is possible and more. Operating systems, applications, special or new drivers, etc. all can be loaded, programmed and reprogrammed, and even be remotely accessed and changed if necessary. Peripherals can be added which require associated software to run and operate—software that could not otherwise be loaded on traditional modems by the end user, if at all. Off-the-shelf software, custom applications, legacy interfaces, new interfaces, special security overlays, etc. could not be readily loaded on traditional modems by the end user, if at all. With SMD's, users can load Linux, Microsoft and other systems, programs, drivers, etc. . . . to provide additional desired utility and functionality, or to support the peripheral equipment to which the smart modem device is attached. Applications requiring field processing, special drivers and/or software, such as for

4 video, barcode scanners, RFID sensors, work order forms, ERP systems, etc., can be integrated with the smart modem device without the need for separate laptops, computers or processors.

depicts a signal flow diagram,

a snowplow, and

a modem-based system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The modem-based

1600 comprises one or

904 a-p, each plugged into a corresponding slot (not shown) of the modem or

900, an

906 for duplexed communications with a network, a

908 and

912, a plurality of

916 a-q, a

920, and the

900.

The

904 a-p are provided by a wireless carrier or network administrator, and contain the logic and related parameters required for access to the corresponding network. Although multiple network cards are depicted, it is to be understood that the present invention includes an SMD configuration having only one slot, as shown in the SMD configuration discussed above. Each of the network cards is interchangeably received in each slot. Thus, cards from different networks or different types of cards from the same network can be placed in any of the slots. As will be appreciated, each card normally has an associated unique identifier (for example a ten digit number assigned to the card by the carrier). The card is typically activated by contacting the service provider or network administrator, or by doing an automated activation via an applicable web page.

The

908 can be any suitable GPS module, including the GPS module discussed previously. Typically, the GPS module forwards digital location signals (e.g., GPRMC NMEA sentences) to the

900. The timing of the signals is typically controlled by the GPS module. A

908 integrates the

906 and

908 into a GPS puck positioned on the exterior of the vehicle. The GPS module can be plugged into various available ports on the SMD, including specially created ports such as a special five-pin DIN connection. The GPS module can also be separated from the antenna and collocated inside of the SMD.

The

916 can be of a variety of types and monitor different parameters. The sensors, for example, can include temperature sensors (e.g., for ambient and engine temperatures), pressure gauges (e.g., for oil, fuel pressure, and/or cement pumping pressure), sensors for measuring the revolutions per minute of a motor, engine, or rotating member, speedometers, odometers, compass, and various other wired or wireless sensors and inputs from equipment on or near the vehicle. In one configuration, the sensors include a still and/or motion

1608 to provide still or full motion images to the remote server. In one configuration, the

916 include a microphone to provide audio to the remote server. Analog-to-digital conversion is employed, as needed, to convert analog signals from

916 to digital format.

The

920 can include a variety of devices, such as a keyboard and/or monitor. The monitor is preferably a touchscreen. The monitor can provide the operator with various options to control operations of the vehicle (e.g., pumping speed, plow blade, bucket, or truck bed, mixture of materials to be applied to a surface, rpms of concrete mixer, and the like), provide data input regarding the vehicle state (e.g., snowplow is raised or lowered) or environmental conditions, transmit text messages to the remote server, receive text messages from the remote server, and views of the data transmitted and/or received.

The

900 includes a number of internal logic modules for performing various operations. The

924 a-x configure the

900 as required by the

904 in the slot or otherwise selected by the user and interacts with the card to establish a communication session with the remote server. The connection monitors 928 a-x monitor the health and/or state of the connection and, if the health is unacceptable (e.g., the connection has too much interference or the Quality of Service is unacceptable) or the link used by the connection is down, reestablishes the communication session by setting up another connection. Typically, a set formed by one connection manager and monitor corresponds to each type and/or origin of

904 used interchangeably in the slot(s). The

936 is synchronized to a universal time clock and provides internal timing information to control SMD operations and timestamp collected data. The

940 is used during normal processing operations and as a buffer for

1612 collected when the connection with the network is either unhealthy or down. Finally, the

932 oversees operations of the SMD, identifies the types of digital incoming signals (e.g., by

916 type) and, based on the type of incoming signal, translates the digital signals received from the

916 to a selected language or format, packetizes the collected

1612 with a data-type identifier included in the payload, and applies headers to the packets for uploading onto the network, handles mail and messaging functions, includes drivers and programming for the user interface, performs remote system maintenance and troubleshooting functions, and other functions.

In one configuration, the

932 process multimedia information. For example, the

932 uses the following parameters to process video information: the URI address of the remote server, the imaging device name, time interval between snapshots, Boolean value for whether images should have a current date/time stamp, Boolean value for whether attachments should be sent as DIME or MIME attachments, temporary file storage location, and the

1616 of the

900 sending the video information. The

1616 of the

900 is used by the remote

710 to associate the received information with the corresponding vehicle; thus, the sending

1616 is selected to identify uniquely the SMD.

The operation of the connection manager and monitor will now be described with reference to

.

depicts the process used to establish a link or connection with a network using a selected

904. The process starts in

1000 when the user inserts a network card into a slot.

In

1004, the

932 identifies the card vendor code and product identifier. This is obtained by querying the card and/or by manual input such as via the touchscreen monitor.

In

1008, the

932 selects the

924 a-x and monitor 928 a-x for the particular card type and vendor. This can be done by dynamically writing the

924 a-x and monitor 928 a-x, or by commenting out the unselected sets of

924 a-x and monitor 928 a-x, or by placing a character or symbol indicating nonexecutable comment text in front of the code associated with the

924 a-x and monitors 928 a-x. The selected set of

924 a-x and monitor 928 a-x is not commented out.

In one configuration using a Linux operation system in the SMD, the

924 a-x and connection monitor 928 a-x are, collectively, formed by a number of daisy-chained files. In this configuration, the connection monitor 928 a-x refers to the initialization file while the

924 a-x refers to the chat script file, peers file, pap-secrets file, and ip-up.local file.

The initial file in the chain is the connection monitor 924 a-x and is a file containing initialization information and script to perform various operations, including the next file in the file sequence. The file, for example, contains the logic of

.

Another file in the sequence is the ip-up.local file, which, after the link is established with the network, is used by the modem to select a Domain Name Service or DNS server and, inter alia, starts a time synchronization sequence with a universal time server to maintain synchronization between the

936 and universal time.

In

1012, the

932 invokes the connection monitor, which in turn invokes the

924 to establish the connection with the network.

In

1016, the card sets up the connection. Generally, the card receives an identifier or address (e.g., telephone number, ESN or other) from the communication initiation application. The identifier or address is associated with the card and informs the network that the card is associated with an authorized wireless device. In the configuration, the network sets up a serial connection with the SMD followed by a handshake and authentication procedure between the card and network. Other links are also possible. After the link is up, the network assigns an IP address to the SMD. As will be appreciated, certain networks, such as Sprint and Verizon, automatically assign and provide a link with a DNS server address while others, such as Cingular, fail to provide a link with a DNS server address. For the latter networks, the DNS server address is included in the connection manager files. Regarding authentication, some network services, such as Cingular, use the same username and password for a number of network cards of the same type. Others, such as Sprint, include the post-card-activation authentication information in the card itself, so non pap-secrets file is needed in the connection manager.

depict the operation of the connection monitor 928 a-x after a link has been established.

The process starts with the establishment of a link in

1100.

In

1104, the connection monitor 928 a-x determines whether or not the link is up. The performance of this step depends on the air interface used by the network. With most air interfaces such as the current CDMA services, the

928 a-x checks locally to determine if the monitor is up. If communication is lost with the network, the link is not up. In that event, the card automatically informs the

932 that the link is down. The

932, in response, removes the file for the link. In the Linux operation system, the

932 removes a point-to-point protocol (ppp) link from the route file when it is informed that a link is disconnected. If there is a ppp entry in the route file, the link is still up. If there is no ppp entry in the route file, the link is down. The

928 can thus determine readily whether or not the link is up.

If the link is up, the monitor proceeds to

1116 and repeats the foregoing operation after a predetermined time interval.

If the link is down, the monitor proceeds to step 1108. In

1108, the monitor determines if the connection manager (i.e., the communications initiation application [e.g., PPPD]) is running. Stated another way, the monitor determines whether the communications initiation application is configured for a persistent connection. When so configured, the communications initiation application will retry automatically to reestablish the connection with the network. Accordingly, when the communications initiation application is configured for a persistent connection the monitor proceeds to

1116 as there is no need for it to effect reestablishment of the connection. When the communications initiation application is not configured for a persistent connection, the monitor proceeds to step 1120 in which it resets the card and effects reestablishment of the connection. In one configuration, the monitor simulates user removal and reinsertion of the card into the slot.

depicts, in more detail, the process of

1120 in the case of the “ppp Exception” noted above, that is used to reset the card in the event of a lost link.

In

1200, the

928 a-x performs a soft reset of the card. The soft reset is performed by the

932, which removes power to the slot and then reapplies it. Some cards, however, do not permit the manager to remove power from the slot.

In

1204, the

928 a-x determines whether the

932 was successful in removing and reapplying power to the slot. When the soft reset has not been successful, the

928 a-x, in

1208 shuts down the communications initiation application 930. Because the application is shut down during operation or “hard killed”, the

932 removes remnants from the application's operation to ensure that the remnants do not interfere with the ensuing steps of the process.

After removal of the remnants, the

928 a-x, in

1212, repeats the soft reset of the card.

When the soft reset is successful in

1204 or after the soft reset of

1212, the

928 a-x, in

1216, provides the card attributes to the

932. Primarily, the attributes pertain to how the

900 is to recognize the card, e.g., as a serial or Universal Serial Bus or USB device as the

932 will need to set up a serial or USB connection, as appropriate. The communications initiation application is configured for serial connections. When the card is a USB device, the

932 will recognize automatically the card as a USB device, and, when the card is a serial device, the

932 will recognize automatically the card as a serial device. So that the card will interface with the communications initiation application, the

928 a-x instructs the

932 to set the card attributes for a serial device. When the card is natively a serial device, the

928 a-x provides the

932 with a baud rate for the serial connection. There is no need to provide a baud rate when the card is natively a USB device as the baud rate for the connection with the USB card will be set automatically by the

932 at a sufficiently high rate.

The connection may be terminated voluntarily by the

900 in response to a set of predetermined trigger events. One trigger event is a command by the user. Another trigger is when the received signal strength from the network falls below a selected threshold. Signal strength may be measured using the mechanisms currently used by cell phones to measure and report the signal strength to the user, even though the user has not yet placed a call. Yet another trigger is one or more selected quality of service (QoS) parameters falling below a corresponding predetermined threshold. Exemplary QoS parameters include packet loss, jitter, latency, etc. To prevent automatic reestablishment of the connection, the

932 can prevent the

928 and communications initiation application from running. Alternatively, the

932 can permit the

928 and communications initiation application to run in an attempt to reestablish the connection. Alternatively, the

932 can permit the

928 and communications initiation application to run but select a different one of the cards (and a different network) for the connection attempt. In this alternative, the

900 will move from network to network in response to variations in the health of the established link.

Data collection by the

900 may be periodic or continuous. Periodic data collection may be based on one or more trigger events, such as the passage of a selected time interval, passage of a given number of data entries (either in total or sorted by parameter), detection of a change in one or more selected state parameters or variables, or receipt of a data transmission command by a user. When data collection is to be transmitted and the connection is either down or up but unhealthy, the SMD buffers the data in the

940 while the

928 attempts to reestablish the connection with the same or a different network. When the connection is reestablished, the data is transmitted via the network to the remote server.

To conserve bandwidth, the manager may filter by a filter 1628 (

) the collected data that is transmitted to the remote server. The data may be filtered on a number of criteria, such as duplication or type. Regarding duplication when the data has not changed since a prior transmission, the data would not have to be resent. Only data that has changed since the prior transmission could be resent. Regarding data type, certain types of data may be sent automatically to the remote server while other types of data may only be sent in response to a trigger event, such as a change in the data or detection of an alarm condition of a vehicular state parameter, or a manual trigger via a touchscreen input.

For example in one alternative embodiment, the

900 is configured for remote software upgrades, particularly for firmware. The software is not only that resident in the

900 but also for an ancillary component, such as the

916. The upgrade is normally started by the operator of the vehicle commanding the

900, via the

920, to initiate a software upgrade. The

932 contacts the remote server and checks for an appropriate upgrade. As part of the interaction, the

932 may need to provide authentication information, such as the

1616 of the

900, a username and a password, or an authentication code. If an upgrade is located, the

900 pulls the upgrade from the server 824 via the selected network. The

932 then proceeds to install the upgrade on the

900 or ancillary component.

In another alternative embodiment, the

900 is configured to detect automatically a

904 based on vendor and type and select automatically the corresponding set of

924 a-x and monitor 928 a-x. When a card is inserted or otherwise selected by a user, the

932 accesses the vendor code and product identifier resident on the card and retrieves a lookup table, such as that depicted in

, from

940. The

932 maps the vendor code and product identifier set received from the card to receive an identifier for the corresponding set of

924 a-x and monitor 928 a-x. In one configuration, the identifier is a memory address or pointer to one or more selected files in the corresponding set. Because in one configuration the

924 a-x files are daisy-chained to the connection monitor 928 a-x, the identifier can be a pointer or memory address of the connection monitor 928 a-x only.

1. A method, comprising:

(a) receiving over a wireless network, from a plurality of snow maintenance vehicles and by a server, a plurality of sets of collected information, each of the collected sets of information comprising a respective snow maintenance vehicle physical location and at least one of weather and road conditions in an area of the respective snow maintenance vehicle;

(b) processing, by the server, the received collected information to (i) provide a map associated with a physical location of a selected snow maintenance vehicle and (ii) determine an instruction for the selected snow maintenance vehicle and/or route; and

(c) providing, over the wireless network the map and an instruction to a user in the selected snow maintenance vehicle, wherein the map is visually displayed to the user and wherein the instruction comprises one or more of a dispatch command, an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface.

2. The method of

, wherein the user is at least one of an operator of the snow maintenance vehicle, a dispatcher, or a representative of a governmental entity, business entity, or independent entity, and wherein the instruction comprises one or more of an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, and an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, wherein the physical location is a Global Positioning System (“GPS”)-based location of the selected snow maintenance vehicle, wherein the GPS-based location is received by a processor from a GPS module, wherein the GPS-based location is a current and/or recorded snow maintenance vehicle physical location, and wherein each of the sets of collected information includes a unique identifier associated with the respective processor, the unique identifier being different from the processor's IP address.

3. The method of

, wherein the map is generated from the plurality of sets of collected information and wherein the map depicts snow maintenance vehicle physical locations of each of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles and the at least one of weather and road conditions in an area of each snow maintenance vehicle.

4. The method of

, wherein the map comprises an icon for each of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles, a respective map location of each icon depicting a physical location of a corresponding snow maintenance vehicle, and wherein each icon is associated with text information describing a vehicle state of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle.

5. The method of

, wherein the vehicle state of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle comprises at least one of a snow maintenance vehicle identifier, direction of snow maintenance vehicle travel, snow maintenance vehicle speed, status of a GPS signal, and the at least one of weather and road and conditions, input, on a manual basis, from the snow maintenance vehicle, and timestamp of last data update for the snow maintenance vehicle.

6. The method of

, wherein an appearance of the icon denotes a corresponding one of a plurality of different possible vehicle states of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle with differing icon appearances corresponding to differing snow maintenance vehicle states.

7. The method of

, wherein the appearance is color and wherein the color indicates that the snow maintenance vehicle is one of active, inactive, and out-of-wireless range.

8. The method of

, wherein the map provides a trace route for each of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles.

9. The method of

, wherein the instruction comprises one or more of a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface, wherein the map is provided over a cellular network, wherein the at least one of weather conditions and road conditions is weather conditions, and wherein the weather conditions comprise a plurality of temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, wind chill, and precipitation type.

10. The method of

, wherein the map is provided over a cellular network, wherein the at least one of weather conditions and road conditions is road conditions, and wherein the road conditions comprise one or more of icy, slushy, snow-packed, frosty, wet, and dry.

11. The method of

, wherein the snow maintenance vehicle state comprises a plurality of a snow plow setting, a mixture of material being applied to a selected surface, and an amount of material being applied to the selected surface.

12. The method of

, wherein the snow maintenance vehicle state comprises video images of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle's exterior environment.

13. A method, comprising:

(a) sending, over a wireless cellular network, from an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address of a selected snow maintenance vehicle, and to a server, a set of collected information, the set of collected information comprising a physical location of the selected snow maintenance vehicle, at least one of weather and road conditions in an area of the selected snow maintenance vehicle, and a unique identifier different from the IP address;

(b) receiving, from the server and over the wireless cellular network, a map and an instruction, based on the set of collected information, for a snow maintenance vehicle and/or route;

(c) displaying, to a user in the selected snow maintenance vehicle, the map; and

(d) providing, to the fuser, the instruction, the instruction comprising one or more of a dispatch command, an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface.

14. The method of

, wherein the user is at least one of an operator of the selected snow maintenance vehicle and a dispatcher or representative of a governmental entity, business entity, or independent entity, wherein the instruction comprises one or more of an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, and an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, wherein the physical location is a Global Positioning System (“GPS”)-based location, wherein the GPS-based location is received by a processor from a GPS module, and wherein the GPS-based location is a current and/or recorded snow maintenance vehicle physical location.

15. The method of

, wherein the map is generated from the set of collected information, and wherein the map depicts snow maintenance vehicle physical locations of each of a plurality of snow maintenance vehicles, including the selected snow maintenance vehicle, and the at least one of weather and road conditions in an area of each snow maintenance vehicle.

16. The method of

, wherein the map comprises an icon for each of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles, a respective map location of each icon depicting a physical location of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle, and wherein each icon is associated with text information describing a vehicle state of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle.

17. The method of

, wherein the vehicle state of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle comprises at least one of snow maintenance vehicle identifier, direction of snow maintenance vehicle travel, snow maintenance vehicle speed, status of a GPS signal, and the at least one of weather and road conditions, input and/or sensed, on a manual and/or automated basis, from the snow maintenance vehicle, and timestamp of last data update for the snow maintenance vehicle.

18. The method of

, wherein an appearance of the icon denotes a corresponding one of a plurality of different possible states of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle with differing icon appearances corresponding to differing snow maintenance vehicle states.

19. The method of

, wherein the appearance is color and wherein the color indicates that the snow maintenance vehicle is one of active, inactive, and out-of-wireless range.

20. The method of

, wherein the map provides a trace route for each of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles.

21. The method of

, wherein the instruction comprises one or more of a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface, wherein the map is provided by local and/or remote access, wherein the at least one of weather conditions and road conditions is weather conditions, and wherein the weather conditions comprise a plurality of temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, wind chill, and precipitation type.

22. The method of

, wherein the at least one of weather and road conditions is collected from the user on a manual basis, wherein the at least one of weather conditions and road conditions is road conditions, and wherein the road conditions comprise one or more of icy, slushy, snow-packed, frosty, wet, and dry.

23. The method of

, wherein the snow maintenance vehicle state comprises a plurality of snow plow setting, mixture of material being applied to a selected surface, and amount of material being applied to the selected surface.

24. The method of

, wherein the snow maintenance vehicle state comprises video images of the snow maintenance vehicle's exterior environment.

25. The method of

, further comprising:

(d) in response to engine shut off, delaying, by a DC voltage regulator and sequencer, termination of power to the processor to enable orderly initiation of processor shut down.

26. A method, comprising:

(a) receiving, from a snow maintenance vehicle, information comprising a plurality of a current weather condition, a current road condition, a snow plow setting, a mixture of material being applied to a road surface, and an amount of material being applied to the road surface;

(b) obtaining, by at least one processor, a physical location of the snow maintenance vehicle;

(c) determining, by the at least one processor, that at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a Quality of Service (“QoS”) parameter is not acceptable;

(d) buffering, by the at least one processor, the received information when the at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a QoS parameter is determined not to be acceptable;

(e) when the at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a QoS parameter is determined to be acceptable, sending, by the at least one processor, from an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address of the of the at least one processor, and over a wireless network, the received information and physical location to an electronic address associated with a remote server; and

(f) receiving, by local and/or remote access, by a user, an instruction in response to the received information and physical location, the instruction comprising one or more of a dispatch command, an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface.

27. The method of

, wherein the received information is input, on a manual basis, from a snow maintenance vehicle, wherein the IP address is received by the at least one processor from a domain name server of a wireless network, wherein the physical location is a set of location coordinates received from a Global Positioning System (“GPS”) sensor, and wherein the determining step (c) comprises the sub-operations:

(C1) forwarding, by the at least one processor, a query to an IP address of the domain name server and applying the following rules;

(C2) when a response is received from the domain name server, determining that the at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a QoS parameter is acceptable; and

(C3) when no response is received from the domain name server, determining that the at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a QoS parameter is not acceptable.

28. The method of

, wherein the at least one of a received signal strength from a cellular wireless network and a QoS parameter is determined not to be acceptable and further comprising the sub-operations:

(C4) determining, by the at least one processor, whether a communications initiation application is configured for a persistent connection and applying the following rules;

(C5) when the communications initiation application is configured for a persistent connection, allowing, by the at least one processor, the communications initiation application to reestablish a connection with the server; and

(C6) when the communications initiation application is not configured for a persistent connection, resetting logic and related parameters required for access to the wireless network to effect reestablishment of the connection with the server.

29. The method of

, wherein the received information is based on information regarding vehicle state, input, on a manual basis, from a snow maintenance vehicle, and wherein the at least one processor sends, along with the received information, a unique identifier associated with the snow maintenance vehicle, the unique identifier being different from the at least one processor's IP address.

30. The method of

, wherein a combination DC voltage regulator and sequencer provide key on/off functionality with delayed power-on to provide extended minimal voltage drain upon start and delayed power-off to provide extended session status with restart and/or orderly shut-down of the at least one processor and whatever functionality is then active.

31. The method of

, wherein the user is at least one of an operator of a snow maintenance vehicle and/or dispatcher or representative of a governmental entity, business entity, or independent entity, wherein the instruction comprises one or more of an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, and an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, and wherein the at least one processor is programmable, comprises an operating system, and provides interfaces for the transfer and/or receipt of information and instructions.

32. The method of

, wherein the at least one processor comprises a connection manager to establish wireless connections and a connection monitor to monitor at least one network state parameter, the network state parameter being one or more of a signal strength over the wireless network, packet loss, jitter, and latency and, when the at least one network state parameter is determined not to be acceptable, to disconnect the connection.

33. The method of

, wherein the instruction comprises one or more of a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface and wherein the at least one processor comprises a filter operable to remove duplicated information and send only information that has changed since a prior transmission and/or information outside of set or calculated parameters.

34. A system, comprising:

at least one processor operable to:

(a) receive, from a snow maintenance vehicle, information comprising a plurality of a current weather condition, a current road condition, a snow plow setting, a mixture of a material being applied to a road surface, and an amount of the material being applied to the road surface;

(b) obtain a physical location of the snow maintenance vehicle;

(c) determine that at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a Quality of Service (“QoS”) parameter is not acceptable;

(d) buffer the received information when the at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a QoS parameter is determined not to be acceptable;

(e) when the at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a QoS parameter is determined to be acceptable, send, from an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address associated with the snow maintenance vehicle and over a wireless network, the received information and physical location to an electronic address associated with a remote server; and

(f) receive, by local and/or remote access, by a user, an instruction in response to the received information and physical location, the instruction comprising one or more of a dispatch command, an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface.

35. The system of

, wherein the received information is input, on a manual basis, from a snow maintenance vehicle, wherein the IP address is received by the at least one processor from a domain name server of a wireless network, wherein the physical location is a set of location coordinates received from a Global Positioning System (“GPS”) sensor, and wherein the determining operation (c) comprises the sub-operations:

(B1) forwarding a query to an IP address of the domain name server and applying the following rules;

(B2) when a response is received from the domain name server, determining that the at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a QoS parameter is acceptable; and

(B3) when no response is received from the domain name server, determining that the at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a QoS parameter is not acceptable.

36. The system of

, wherein the at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a QoS parameter is determined not to be acceptable and further comprising the sub-operations:

(B4) determining whether a communications initiation application is configured for a persistent connection and applying the following rules;

(B5) when the communications initiation application is configured for a persistent connection, allowing the communications initiation application to reestablish a connection with the server; and

(B6) when the communications initiation application is not configured for a persistent connection, resetting logic and related parameters required for access to the wireless network to effect reestablishment of the connection with the server.

37. The vehicle of

, wherein the received information is based on information regarding vehicle state, input, on a manual basis, from a snow maintenance vehicle, and wherein the at least one processor sends, along with the received information, a unique identifier associated with the snow maintenance vehicle, the unique identifier being different from the at least one processor's IP address.

38. The vehicle of

, wherein a combination DC voltage regulator and sequencer provides key on/off functionality with delayed power-on to provide extended minimal voltage drain upon start and delayed power-off to provide extended session status with restart and/or orderly shut-down of the at least one processor and whatever functionality is then active.

39. The vehicle of

, wherein the user is at least one of an operator of a snow maintenance vehicle and a dispatcher or representative of a governmental entity, business entity, or independent entity, wherein the instruction comprises one or more of an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, and an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, and wherein the at least one processor is programmable, comprises an operating system, and provides interfaces for the transfer and/or receipt of information and instructions.

40. The vehicle of

, wherein the at least one processor comprises a connection manager to establish wireless connections and a connection monitor to monitor at least one network state parameter, the network state parameter being one or more of a signal strength over the wireless network, packet loss, jitter, and latency and, when the at least one network state parameter is determined not to be acceptable, to disconnect the connection.

41. The vehicle of

, wherein the instruction comprises one or more of a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface and wherein the at least one processor comprises a filter operable to remove duplicated information and send only information that has changed since a prior transmission and/or information outside of set or calculated parameters.

42. A method, comprising:

(a) while a snow maintenance vehicle is in operation, periodically sending, over a wireless network, from an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address of a processor associated with the snow maintenance vehicle, and to a server, a set of collected information, the set of collected information comprising a physical location of the snow maintenance vehicle, at least one of weather and road conditions in an area of the snow maintenance vehicle, and a unique identifier different from the IP address; and

(b) in response to engine shut off of the snow maintenance vehicle, delaying, by a DC voltage regulator and sequencer, termination of power to the processor to enable orderly initiation of processor shut down.

43. The method of

, further comprising:

(b) receiving, by local and/or remote access and from the server, a map and an instruction, based on the set of collected information, for a snow maintenance vehicle and/or route;

(c) displaying, to a user, the map; and

(d) providing, to the user, the instruction, the instruction comprising one or more of a dispatch command, an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface.

44. A system, comprising:

a processor operable to determine a physical location of the snow maintenance vehicle, collect, by a sensor and/or user interface, from a snow maintenance vehicle, information comprising a plurality of a current weather condition, a current road condition, a snow plow setting, a mixture of a material being applied to a road surface, and an amount of the material being applied to the road surface, and provide, to a remote server, the collected information comprising the physical location and the plurality of a current weather condition, a current road condition, a snow plow setting, a mixture of a material being applied to a road surface, and an amount of the material being applied to the road surface; and

a combination DC voltage regulator and sequencer operable to provide key on/off functionality with delayed power-on to provide extended minimal voltage drain upon start and delayed power-off to provide extended session status with restart and/or orderly shut-down of the processor and whatever processor functionality is then active.

45. The system of

, wherein the processor is further operable to:

determine that at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a Quality of Service (“QoS”) parameter is not acceptable;

buffer the collected information when the at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a QoS parameter is not acceptable;

when the at least one of a received signal strength from a wireless network and a QoS parameter is acceptable, send, from an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address of the processor and over a wireless network, the collected information to an electronic address associated with the remote server; and

receive, by local and/or remote access, by the operator of the snow maintenance vehicle and/or other user, an instruction to the snow maintenance vehicle operator and/or route, the instruction comprising one or more of a dispatch command, an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface.

46. A system, comprising:

at least one processor operable to:

(a) send, over a wireless cellular network, from an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address of a selected snow maintenance vehicle, and to a server, a set of collected information, the set of collected information comprising a physical location of the selected snow maintenance vehicle, at least one of weather and road conditions in an area of the selected snow maintenance vehicle, and a unique identifier different from the IP address;

(b) receive, from the server and over the wireless cellular network, a map and an instruction, based on the set of collected information, for a snow maintenance vehicle and/or route;

(c) display, to a user of the snow maintenance vehicle, the map; and

(d) provide, to the user, the instruction, the instruction comprising one or more of a dispatch command, an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface.

47. The system of

, wherein the user is at least one of an operator of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle and dispatcher or representative of a governmental entity, business entity, or independent entity, and wherein the instruction comprises one or more of an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, and an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, wherein the physical location is a Global Positioning System (“GPS”)-based location, wherein the GPS-based location is received by the at least one processor from a GPS module, and wherein the GPS-based location is a current and/or recorded snow maintenance vehicle physical location.

48. The system of

, wherein the map is generated from the set of collected information and wherein the map depicts snow maintenance vehicle physical locations of each of a plurality of snow maintenance vehicles, including the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle, and the at least one of weather and road conditions in an area of each snow maintenance vehicle.

49. The system of

, wherein the map comprises an icon for each of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles, a respective map location of each icon depicting a physical location of a respective snow maintenance vehicle, and wherein each icon is associated with text information describing a vehicle state of the respective snow maintenance vehicle.

50. The system of

, wherein the vehicle state of the respective snow maintenance vehicle comprises at least one of snow maintenance vehicle identifier, direction of snow maintenance vehicle travel, snow maintenance vehicle speed, status of a GPS signal from the snow maintenance vehicle, and timestamp of last data update for the snow maintenance vehicle and wherein an appearance of the icon denotes a corresponding one of a plurality of different possible vehicle states of the respective snow maintenance vehicle with differing icon appearances corresponding to differing snow maintenance vehicle states.

51. The system of

, wherein the appearance is color and wherein the color indicates that the snow maintenance vehicle is one of active, inactive, and out-of-wireless range.

52. The system of

, wherein the map provides a trace route for each of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles.

53. The system of

, wherein the instruction comprises one or more of a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface, wherein the at least one of weather in an area of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle, road conditions in an area of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle, and a vehicle state of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle is weather conditions, and wherein the weather conditions comprise a plurality of temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, wind chill, and precipitation type.

54. The system of

, wherein the at least one of weather and road conditions is collected from the user on a manual basis, wherein the at least one of weather and road conditions in an area of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle is road conditions, and wherein the road conditions comprise one or more of icy, slushy, snow-packed, frosty, wet, and dry.

55. The system of

, wherein the snow maintenance vehicle state comprises a plurality of snow plow setting, mixture of material being applied to a selected surface, and amount of material being applied to the selected surface.

56. The system of

, wherein the snow maintenance vehicle state comprises video images of the snow maintenance vehicle's exterior environment and further comprising:

a DC voltage regulator and sequencer to delay, in response to engine shut off, termination of power to the at least one processor to enable orderly initiation of at least one processor shut down.

57. The system of

, wherein the at least one processor is in the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle and further comprising a user interface to collect from the user and send, from the operator, the set of collected information, and to display, to the operator, the map, and provide, to the operator, the operator and/or route instruction.

58. A system, comprising:

(a) a server operable to: (i) communicate, over a wireless network, with a plurality of snow maintenance vehicles operated by a plurality of different independent entities; (ii) obtain, for each snow maintenance vehicle, information comprising the current snow maintenance vehicle physical location and at least one of a weather condition and a road condition in the vicinity of the snow maintenance vehicle, (iii) generate at least one of (A) an instruction for a respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route, comprising one or more of a dispatch command, a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface and (B) an alarm to at least one of a user associated with the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route and an automated component in the respective snow maintenance vehicle, (iv) generate, for each independent entity, a map, and (v) provide, to a user associated with such entity, the at least one of (A) an instruction for the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route and (B) an alarm and a selected map for display, the selected map being for the independent entity associated with the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route; and

(b) at least one database operable to store, for each snow maintenance vehicle and for each independent entity, respective information collected by the server.

59. The system of

, wherein the user is at least one of an operator of a snow maintenance vehicle and a dispatcher or representative of a governmental entity, business entity, company, or independent entity, and wherein the at least one of (A) an instruction for the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route and (B) an alarm and the selected map is provided to the user by local and/or remote access.

60. The system of

, wherein the obtained information is input, on a manual basis, from a respective snow maintenance vehicle, and wherein the at least one of (A) an instruction for the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route and (B) an alarm and the selected map is provided to at least one of a user and an automated component of the selected snow maintenance vehicle by a wireless network.

61. The system of

, wherein the at least one of (A) an instruction for the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route and (B) an alarm is an alarm, wherein the alarm is at least one of an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, and an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, wherein the physical location is a set of Global Positioning System (“GPS”) coordinates, wherein each snow maintenance vehicle comprises a respective GPS location unit to provide a current snow maintenance vehicle location, and wherein the current snow maintenance vehicle physical location is sent, by each snow maintenance vehicle, to the server to be used in generation of the map.

62. The system of

, wherein the server generates, using obtained information, the map, for a selected independent entity, showing an icon associated with each of the snow maintenance vehicles currently in operation for that selected independent entity, with each icon indicating a current physical location and at least one of a status of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle, road conditions in the vicinity of the snow maintenance vehicle, and weather conditions in the vicinity of the snow maintenance vehicle.

63. The system of

, wherein the map comprises an icon for each of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles, a respective map location of each icon depicting a physical location of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle, and wherein each icon is associated with text information describing a vehicle state of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle.

64. The system of

, wherein the at least one of (A) an instruction for the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route and (B) an alarm is an instruction for the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route, wherein the instruction is at least one of a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface, wherein the vehicle state of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle comprises at least one of snow maintenance vehicle identifier, direction of snow maintenance vehicle travel, snow maintenance vehicle speed, status of a GPS signal from the snow maintenance vehicle, and timestamp of last data update for the snow maintenance vehicle.

65. The system of

, wherein an appearance of the icon denotes a corresponding one of a plurality of different possible vehicle states of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle with differing icon appearances corresponding to differing snow maintenance vehicle states.

66. The system of

, wherein the appearance is color and wherein the color indicates that the snow maintenance vehicle is one of active, inactive, and out-of-wireless range.

67. The system of

, wherein the map provides a trace route for each of a set of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles.

68. The system of

, wherein the plurality of current weather conditions, road conditions, snow plow setting, mixture of material being applied to a road surface, and amount of material being applied to the road surface is collected on a manual basis, by a user interface, from a snow maintenance vehicle, and wherein the collected information comprises a plurality of raining, snowing, blowing snow, foggy, clear, overcast, icy road, slushy road, snow-packed road, frosty road, wet road, dry road, snow maintenance vehicle position, snow plow orientation, mixture of material being applied to the road, and amount of material being applied to the road.

69. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server over a wireless network, information associated with a plurality of snow maintenance vehicles operated by a plurality of different independent entities, the information comprising, for each snow maintenance vehicle, the current snow maintenance vehicle physical location and at least one of a weather condition and a road condition in the vicinity of the snow maintenance vehicle;

generating at least one of (A) an instruction, for a respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route, comprising one or more of a dispatch command, a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface and (B) an alarm to at least one of a user associated with the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route and an automated component in the respective snow maintenance vehicle;

generating, for each independent entity, a map;

providing, to a user associated with such entity, the at least one of (A) an instruction for the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route and (B) an alarm and a selected map for display, the selected map being for the independent entity associated with the respective snow maintenance vehicle; and

storing, in at least one database, for each snow maintenance vehicle, and for each independent entity, respective information collected by the server.

70. The method of

, wherein the user is at least one of an operator of a snow maintenance vehicle and a dispatcher or representative of a governmental entity, business entity, or independent entity, and wherein the at least one of (A) an instruction for the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route and (B) an alarm and the selected map is provided to the user by local and/or remote access.

71. The method of

, wherein the received information is input, on a manual basis, from a snow maintenance vehicle, and wherein the at least one of (A) an instruction for the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route and (B) an alarm and the selected map is provided to at least one of a user and an automated component of the selected snow maintenance vehicle by a wireless network.

72. The method of

, wherein the at least one of (A) an instruction for the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route and (B) an alarm is an alarm, wherein the alarm is at least one of an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, and an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, wherein the physical location is a set of Global Positioning System (“GPS”) coordinates, wherein each snow maintenance vehicle comprises a respective GPS location unit to provide a current snow maintenance vehicle location, and wherein the current snow maintenance vehicle physical location is sent, by each snow maintenance vehicle, to the server to be used in generation of the map.

73. The method of

, wherein the server generates, using obtained information, the map, for a selected independent entity, showing an icon associated with each of the snow maintenance vehicles currently in operation for that selected independent entity, with each icon indicating a current physical location and at least one of a status of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle, road conditions in the vicinity of the snow maintenance vehicle, and weather conditions in the vicinity of the snow maintenance vehicle.

74. The method of

, wherein the map comprises an icon for each of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles, a respective map location of each icon depicting a physical location of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle, and wherein each icon is associated with text information describing a vehicle state of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle.

75. The method of

, wherein the at least one of (A) an instruction for the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route and (B) an alarm is an instruction for the respective snow maintenance vehicle and/or route, wherein the snow maintenance vehicle operator instruction is at least one of a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface, wherein the vehicle state of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle comprises at least one of snow maintenance vehicle identifier, direction of snow maintenance vehicle travel, snow maintenance vehicle speed, status of a GPS signal from the snow maintenance vehicle, and timestamp of last data update for the snow maintenance vehicle.

76. The method of

, wherein an appearance of the icon denotes a corresponding one of a plurality of different possible vehicle states of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle with differing icon appearances corresponding to differing snow maintenance vehicle states.

77. The method of

, wherein the appearance is color and wherein the color indicates that the snow maintenance vehicle is one of active, inactive, and out-of-wireless range.

78. The method of

, wherein the map provides a trace route for each of a set of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles.

79. The method of

, wherein the plurality of current weather conditions, road conditions, snow plow setting, mixture of material being applied to a road surface, and amount of material being applied to the road surface is collected on a manual basis, by a user interface, from a snow maintenance vehicle, and wherein the collected information comprises a plurality of raining, snowing, blowing snow, foggy, clear, overcast, icy road, slushy road, snow-packed road, frosty road, wet road, dry road, snow maintenance vehicle position, snow plow orientation, mixture of material being applied to the road, and amount of material being applied to the road.

80. A system, comprising:

a server operable to:

(a) receive over a wireless network, from a plurality of snow maintenance vehicles, a plurality of sets of collected information, each of the collected sets of information comprising a respective snow maintenance vehicle physical location and at least one of weather and road conditions in an area of the respective snow maintenance vehicle;

(b) process the received collected information to (i) provide a map associated with a physical location of a selected snow maintenance vehicle and (ii) determine an instruction for the selected snow maintenance vehicle and/or route; and

(c) provide, over the wireless network, the map and an instruction to a user in the selected snow maintenance vehicle, wherein the map is visually displayed to the user and wherein the instruction comprises one or more of a dispatch command, an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface.

81. The system of

, wherein the user is at least one of an operator of the selected snow maintenance vehicle and a dispatcher or representative of a governmental entity, business entity, or independent entity, and wherein the instruction comprises one or more of an alarm based on a temporal trend in weather conditions, an alarm based on a difference in weather conditions, an alarm based on a temporal trend in road conditions, and an alarm based on a difference in road conditions, wherein the physical location is a Global Positioning System (“GPS”)-based location of the selected snow maintenance vehicle, wherein the GPS-based location is received by the processor from a GPS module, wherein the GPS-based location is a current and/or recorded snow maintenance vehicle physical location, and wherein each of the sets of collected information includes a unique identifier associated with the respective processor, the unique identifier being different from a processor's IP address.

82. The system of

, wherein the map is generated from the plurality of sets of collected information, and wherein the map depicts snow maintenance vehicle physical locations of each of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles and the at least one of weather and road conditions in an area of each snow maintenance vehicle.

83. The system of

, wherein the map comprises an icon for each of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles, a respective map location of each icon depicting a physical location of a corresponding snow maintenance vehicle, and wherein each icon is associated with text information describing a vehicle state of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle.

84. The system of

, wherein the vehicle state of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle comprises at least one of a snow maintenance vehicle identifier, direction of snow maintenance vehicle travel, snow maintenance vehicle speed, status of a GPS signal, and road and/or weather information, input, on a manual basis, from the snow maintenance vehicle, and timestamp of last data update for the snow maintenance vehicle.

85. The system of

, wherein an appearance of the icon denotes a corresponding one of a plurality of different possible vehicle states of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle with differing icon appearances corresponding to differing snow maintenance vehicle states.

86. The system of

, wherein the appearance is color and wherein the color indicates that the snow maintenance vehicle is one of active, inactive, and out-of-wireless range.

87. The system of

, wherein the map provides a trace route for each of the plurality of snow maintenance vehicles.

88. The system of

, wherein the instruction comprises one or more of a snow plow setting, a mixture of materials being applied to a road surface, and an amount of materials being applied to the road surface, wherein the map is provided, over a cellular network, wherein the at least one of weather conditions and road conditions is weather conditions, and wherein the weather conditions comprise a plurality of temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, wind chill, and precipitation type.

89. The system of

, wherein the map is provided, over a cellular network, wherein the at least one of weather conditions and road conditions is road conditions, and wherein the road conditions comprise one or more of icy, slushy, snow-packed, frosty, wet, and dry.

90. The system of

, wherein the snow maintenance vehicle state comprises a plurality of a snow plow setting, a mixture of material being applied to a selected surface, and an amount of material being applied to the selected surface.

91. The system of

, wherein the snow maintenance vehicle state comprises video images of the corresponding snow maintenance vehicle's exterior environment.